Falling Away
by TJ Sparkles
Summary: She was tired of giving. She'd given all she could, and it never seemed to be enough. Multi-chaptered fic, featuring Lita and multiple other characters/pairings.
1. It Wasn't Enough

Summary: She was tired of giving. She'd given all she could, and it never seemed to be enough.

**A/N**: **Written for the Album Challenge at lita_fics on LJ. I picked the album "The Chronicles of Life and Death" by Good Charlotte because they're one of my favorite bands. I plan on making this 6 parts, with each part inspired by a particular song. Also, hoping to keep all of these connected, but it all depends. We'll see. No definitive pairing yet; there might not be one. I'll let you know when I do. Until then, you can choose who you think it would be.

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**She couldn't understand where they had gone wrong. Was it something she'd said? Something she _hadn't _said? Lita was confused beyond all belief by the evening's events. It had all happened so suddenly: one moment they had been laughing, reminiscing about old times and awkward, embarrassing moments they'd share together, the next they were yelling and exchanging hurtful, hate-filled insults.

Sometime between dinner and dessert, everything fell apart. She was completely gobsmacked and devastated by the evening's events, and even if she retraced the evening in her mind, she knew that she _still _wouldn't be able to see where or how they'd gotten to this point. The only thing she was sure of was that he was gone, and chances were pretty good that he wouldn't be coming back. Of course, it had been mutual—as mutual as a breakup can be when one person doesn't want it, and tries desparately to come up with ways to work the problems out—but that gave her very little comfort. She hadn't wanted him to walk out the door; she hadn't meant anything when she'd said that they weren't right for each other. She had just been upset, frustrated, and hadn't been thinking clearly when she said it. Deep down, she did feel like she was the only one giving in the relationship, while he seemed to just take and take, but that hadn't been the best way to express her feelings.

But one thing he had said that Lita couldn't deny was that the two of them were at a crossroads in their relationship. It seemed, from his point of view, that she'd stopped trying and had pulled away from him. In her eyes, _he_ had stopped trying and didn't appreciate her efforts at all. What more could she do to make him happy? She didn't have the answer to that question and now, she probably never would, because he'd walked out.

Lita had made numerous sacrifices in both her personal and professional life just so they could be together, but it apparently wasn't enough. It seemed that, no matter what she did, it wasn't appreciated. It was almost as if he expected more from her, more than any one person to give to another. And she was tired of trying. She was tired of being with someone who didn't care enough to put her first, instead expecting to be put above everything and everyone. She had a life to live, and she couldn't be bothered with shoving it to the side anymore. As much as it hurt, she knew that it was time to let go, time for both of them to move on. It wasn't as if he wasn't wildly successful, either. He didn't need her anymore. She didn't want to give up, but she'd pretty much given all that she could, and it wasn't enough. She didn't want him to stay in a relationship where he wasn't happy, so she had no choice but to let him go. Lita questioned whether or not she should fight for him to stay, but really, what was the point anymore? It wouldn't change things.

And as she settled into her bed and pulled the thick covers over her, Lita tried to convince herself that she didn't need him anymore.

Nothing could be further from the truth, though.


	2. Walk Away

**Thanks to the awesome Nani (glamagirl) for reviewing. Glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you'll enjoy this one as well.

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"Please," she pleaded. "We don't have to walk away."

He shrugged away from her touch, his face expressionless and his voice cold as he spoke. He couldn't raise his eyes to look at her, because he knew that if he did, he would back out of this. And he knew that she would hate him for this now, but later she'd understand. This was for the good of both of them.

"It's easier this way, Li," the man said softly, as a hand came up to tug at his hair. "Don't you see? We're two different people now. We just don't…" he fumbled for the words. "Mesh."

"Where is this even coming from?" Lita questioned, completely surprised by her boyfriend's behavior. "Come on, talk to me; let's work this out." She reached for his hand, but he again brushed her off, shoving his hands in his pockets as he did so.

"You don't get it," he gritted his teeth as he ground the words out. She didn't seem to be listening to him, or even thinking clearly, because if she was, she'd understand exactly what he was talking about. The situation was crystal clear to him; why couldn't she just open her eyes and see? "We're never going to work out."

Crushed by that statement, Lita blinked rapidly, her eyes wide and brimming with tears, and she hastily wiped them away before he got the chance to comment on them. She tossed her red hair back and crossed her arms over her chest, her tone indignant as she spoke.

"You think so? Cause I think we've been doing a pretty damn good job so far."

Again her boyfriend shook his head, wishing that there was some way he could explain to Lita why he had to leave. He knew that she thought he didn't want to work things out, but that wasn't the case, at all. They'd been trying for God knows how long, only to end up back here. Quite frankly, he was tired of trying, and regardless of whether or not she wanted to admit it, so was Lita. No good was going to come out of this, he knew that. He knew that things between them would be rocky at best for quite some time, but he was okay with that. He was prepared to deal with the insults, the angry accusations, and even the silent treatment. To him, it would all be worth it in the end because he had made a decision he should have had the guts to make long ago—he was going to stop hurting the woman he loved, as well as himself.

"I think you're scared," Lita said quietly. "I think you're so used to failure that you think one little speed bump in a relationship automatically means a breakup will follow." She crossed the room to stand beside her boyfriend, her hand on his shoulder as she spoke. "That's not true. Walking away isn't going to solve anything."

"Please," he pleaded, his voice rough and ragged. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be. I _told _you already, this is never going to work."

"Why?" She pressed, her voice calm. "Because you won't let it? What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing. I'm not afraid of anything, and for you to make such an implication is ridiculous." But he wouldn't look at her when he said it, and he was fidgeting—to Lita, a sure sign that he was lying. She couldn't make him open up, and she couldn't make him stay if he really didn't want to, but she was at least going to fight for this. Maybe she might lose it anyway in the end, but she'd be damned if she didn't at least try.

"You're not afraid," Lita rolled her eyes. "Okay. Then prove me wrong."

Why was she doing this? As each moment passed, he grew more and more frustrated by the way Lita was acting. This had gone on too long; he'd stood here, in the same room as her, and stalled for far too long. The time for conversation was over. And without another word, he silently turned his back to her, bent over to pick up his duffel bag, and made his way to the door. He had just turned the knob and pulled the door open when he heard a scoff.

"Wow, you're even more pathetic than I thought," Lita sneered. "You're willing to let the best thing that's ever happened to you end just because you're scared. Maybe you're right. We're not right for each other. I need a man, not a boy."

The words stung, though not as much as he'd expected them to, because he knew that Lita was right. Of course he wasn't going to admit it, because doing so would bring his weakness to the surface, and he couldn't allow that to happen, but she was right. He was turning his back on this because he was scared.

Maybe he was scared to face the things he felt. Maybe this scared him more than he could imagine. And maybe he would regret it later, but he didn't have any reason to complain at the moment. He'd made this bed; now he was going to lie in it. No looking back. No changing his mind.

From here on, he would concentrate solely on moving forward. 


	3. The Truth

**A/N: Thanks again to Nani for reviewing! Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy this!

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**Her world had been turned completely upside down and shattered. Additionally, the last two encounters with the man she had once loved had ended disastrously and left her reeling. Had any of this ever been real? Had she ever meant anything to him, or had their relationship been some sick, twisted game to him? Lita wished she could say for certain. She really hoped that, after four years together, she had meant something to him. But one thing she did know is that he had meant everything to her. Lita had loved him without question, which was a pretty big deal considering her trust and relationship issues. She had thrown caution to the wind and ignored the little nagging feelings of self-doubt that had plagued her, because she felt that he was worth it. And even though he'd broken her heart, Lita still felt like, if she had to do it all over again, she would. She wouldn't do anything differently. Every decision she had made and every step she had taken had gotten her to this point. It tore her apart to know that it had all been in vain, but she supposed that regretting it would do no good. She was the kind of person that lived without regrets, and learned something from each experience. This time was certainly no different. However, there was one thing she had to find out before she could lay this entire situation to rest. Lita needed to know if he had been completely honest with her. He at least owed her that much.

She needed to know if his feelings for her had been real. Even though there was a strong possibility that she would be hurt when she heard it, Lita desperately needed to know. It wasn't like her heart could break any more, or at least that's how she felt. Before she would be able to truly move on, she needed to hear the truth about how her boyfriend had felt. It would give her the closure she so desperately needed.

But could she do it? Could she pick up the phone and call him? The last two encounters, as she remembered, had been terrible, and Lita wasn't sure that she had the energy to go through that again. She was long past the point of yelling and fighting; she no longer cared if he hated her or not. But after so many years together, Lita felt that she had a right to know if his feelings for her had been genuine, or if he had simply been stringing her along or even cheating on her behind her back. She didn't think she had been stringing her along—who does that for four years—but the possibility of him cheating was a very likely one indeed.

Immediately, Lita chided herself for even thinking such a thing. Yeah, they had had a lot of bumps in their very rocky relationship, but she had never questioned his loyalty to her. She hadn't had any reason to. And even now, as she sat on the bed with her cell phone clutched in her hand, Lita knew that he had always been loyal. He'd broken her heart and definitely made her question having a relationship again for a very long time, but the one thing she was almost positive about was that he had had eyes for only her.

Lita sucked in a deep breath as she dialed the number she'd come to know by heart. Her mind was screaming that this was a bad idea at her, but she ignored it. Had she listened to her heart and her instincts in the first place, she wouldn't be in the position she was in now, but somehow, she had allowed her mind to deceive her. It wasn't going to happen again.

"Hello?"

Lita tried to steady her voice upon hearing his. A quick glance at the clock told her that she'd probably woke him up—then again, she'd never known him to go to sleep before dawn in all the time she'd known him, so he'd probably just been busy with something, or someone. Lita suspected that it was probably the latter.

"Li? Is that you?"

"Yeah," she responded quietly, feeling awkward at this point. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him now that she had him on the line. Before she made the call, she hadn't exactly planned what she was going to say. Lita had figured that she would have gotten his voicemail. In all honesty, that was what she had been expecting and maybe even hoping for, just a little bit. It wasn't that she was afraid to talk to him or that she thought she would chicken out, because she wouldn't. The situation was terribly difficult—part of her wanted to back out, and part of her chided herself for even thinking it.

Mostly, though, she just wished it would be over already. She hoped that getting the truth would give her clarity and the closure she needed to move on, because even though she had no romantic feelings for him any longer, Lita felt like there was an elephant in the room and she wouldn't be able to truly move on until it was addressed.

"Tell me something," her voice was hoarse as she spoke, and Lita silently willed herself to stay strong through this. Just a couple of questions, and then she would be done for good. This wasn't going to be easy, but she hoped it would be painless for the most part. She likened it to the ripping of a Band-Aid—quick and easy always did the trick.

"Yeah? What?"

"Did it ever mean anything?" She cleared her throat.

His tone changed from one of initial boredom to utter surprise, and she could hear him moving around and rustling something as he spoke.

"What? Hold on, I can't hear you…now what did you say?"

"This," Lita repeated. "Us. Did it ever mean anything to you?"

"What? Of course it did!"

Immediately, Lita knew she had hit a nerve. _Good_, she thought to herself, _now he knows what it feels like_. She wasn't a vengeful person by nature, but the demise of their relationship and subsequent breakup had left her with a terribly bitter taste in her mouth and a less than positive outlook on relationships.

"I want the truth," she said brusquely. "Even if it hurts me. I mean, it can't hurt any more than everything else did, can it? Be straight up honest with me, cause I need to know how you really felt."

He didn't speak at first, and for a moment Lita thought he'd hung up on her. It wouldn't surprise her; after all, he had basically walked away from the relationship, rather than try and work it out with her. The word coward was definitely an appropriate one for him, at least in this situation.

"Look," his voice was strained and laced with fatigue. "I tried to make this work. You tried. It just didn't."

"You didn't try very hard," Lita retorted, hurt.

"Can I finish, please?"

Lita said nothing, allowing him to speak, and tried to calm herself as she listened. She didn't want to hear a pack of lies about how he'd given all that he could to no avail, and that they'd simply just grown apart. She had poured her heart into the relationship and had been very emotionally invested up until the abrupt breakup. Lita felt that she deserved more than a half-ass explanation for why things fell apart.

"Amy," he said softly, starting the redhead because it had been a very long time since she'd heard him use that name, and it took her by surprise, "even though things fell apart the way they did, doesn't mean I didn't love you. I did. I loved you the best I could, but I don't think that love was enough for us."

"I can't believe you'd say that," Lita mumbled, her voice barely audible. Her former lover, however, ignored the remark and continued speaking.

"Look, I know that I didn't handle our breakup in the best way. I'm sorry," he apologized, "but I really didn't know any other way to do it. We were growing apart, falling away from each other, and I wanted to end it before the possibility of us being friends was destroyed."

"Oh, that's really convenient," Lita spat. "You could've told me this, but, instead, you just decided that there was no point in trying. You didn't even bother to consult me about it. Gee, thanks a lot. Really kind of you."

"You don't understand," he said wearily. "Our friendship was very important to me. I didn't wanna lose that. I knew that our relationship wasn't working out and it killed me, but knowing that you would at least be in my life in some aspect comforted me a little."

"Well, I hope you're happy with your decision, I really do," Lita said icily, "Because now you don't have me in your life at all. I can't be friends, not after what you did."

"Please," he begged. "I really didn't mean to hurt you."

Lita rolled her eyes.

"I'm done with listening. Goodbye."

With a heavy sigh, she hung the phone up, and buried her head in her hands. What had she just done?

_The only thing you could have, _her inner voice assured her. _You got your answers, didn't you? Now move on._

Lita had gone into this conversation bound and determined to get her answers; hoping that she would come away from it with a sense of closure, but she couldn't help but feel more confused than ever. She felt completely lost, a little hurt, and definitely dumbstruck. She had gotten her answers, and yet, she still felt like she had a million other unanswered ones.

She had gotten the truth, but she felt much worse than before. 


	4. Mountain

**A/N: I meant to post this earlier, but got sidetracked. The majority of my time has been focused on a series I'm writing with Kennedy's Friday Night Delight, but hopefully I can update again soon. There will be two more parts to this and then maybe another series like this, but with a different pairing. If you have any suggestions as to what pairings I should use for the next album challenge, please, send them my way! Thanks to both Ashleys and Nani for reviewing the last chapter. The mystery guy is finally revealed in this. Hope you enjoy!**

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He liked to come out here quite often, to clear his mind and gain mental clarity. The bright lights of the city shining down on him as he sat on the rooftop of his house, bathing him in their warm light, was one of his favorite feelings in the world. No matter how bad his day was going, or how beat up his body was due to his profession, sitting high atop everything and everyone made all of his problems seem so small. It was a technique that he practiced often, but had been doing more of as of late.

He had lost her, and it was all due to his stupid, egotistical, foolish male pride. To the average person, Chris Jericho had everything and was seemingly happy, but it was a farce. The life he appeared to live was very carefully planned and rehearsed, to seem like he was having the time of his life and living out his dreams, like he had always wanted to.

His life was one big joke. It was almost pathetic to him once he had realized it. All of his life had been wasted chasing stupid, ridiculous dreams. Yes, he had achieved them, as he always achieved his goals once he put his mind and heart into it, but what did that mean to him? Did any of it mean anything? He felt like a complete idiot for being so reckless. He wasn't in his twenties anymore; the time for chasing after things blindly was up. By all accounts, he should be settled down with a wife and maybe a couple of kids, but he wasn't.

Chris was doing what he had always wanted to; he was living out his dreams. Fozzy was on the heels of a white-hot tour in Europe, and outwardly, it seemed as though he and his bandmates were having a blast. This was something he had dreamed about since he was a teenage playing in various different bands with his friends. By all accounts, he should be ecstatic and thrilled with the way his life had turned out.

But the albums, the shows, the screaming fans, all of that, was meaningless when you had no one to share it with.

Chris knew that he had no one to blame for that but himself, and on nights like tonight, he very much regretted working such an insane, taxing schedule, because even though it had allowed him to go places he never dreamed he would get to go and see places he had always wanted to visit as a little boy, it had also taken him away from his family, made him a stranger of sorts when he came home on holidays (that is, when he got the opportunity to come home), and alienated him from those he had loved. And, of course, it had cost him the woman he had considered the love of his life.

How could he have been so stupid? How had he allowed this to happen? In the past, when he was wrestling, he had been working a schedule that was just as crazy, but he had made it work. Why had this been different? Chris didn't have the answer, but the cold, hard truth was that it had, and now he was paying the price for it.

He missed her terribly.

Last Chris heard, Lita had moved on and was now dating CM Punk, a man he had once considered a close friend. Chris couldn't help but feel sharp pangs of jealousy whenever it was brought up. He knew that it should be him with Lita, that he should be the one accompanying her to concerts like Punk was and making late night phone calls just to tell her how much she meant to him and how much he missed her, but he'd thrown that opportunity away. Chris hated himself for it and wondered on many a night why he had been so stupid, or how.

He wished he could call her, but he knew he couldn't. It was for the best, anyway. He was responsible for the destruction of this relationship, and even though he wanted to fix everything he had done, even though he wanted to write every wrong he had caused, Chris knew that he wouldn't be able to. But God, he wished that he could get up the nerve to call her, and tell her that even though he'd realized his dreams, none of it could compare to the love she had given him. He'd do anything to have her with him right now. He'd give it all up in an instant if it meant that they could have what they once did again.

Nothing compared to the high he had when they were together. Not even the fans screaming his name night after night or performing on stage. None of it made him feel the way she had. He had been too stupid to realize it when they were together, and now, he was paying dearly for it. Chris Jericho was a broken man now. He couldn't get back what he lost, no matter how hard he tried.

Self-loathing and desperation consumed him now. He had destroyed his own life, and he would never be the same again because of it.


	5. Predictable

**A/N: There will be one more part after this. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it! This was so much fun for me to write.

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Lita felt like a fool. She knew she shouldn't feel that way, because what had happened six months ago wasn't her fault, but she still felt like one. She had allowed her guard to drop, her walls to fall down, and he had swooped in and taken total advantage of her. It wouldn't happen again. Her heart had been crushed, but in the process, she had learned a lesson from it: never ignore your instinct. Always go with your gut feeling. She had, foolishly, chosen to ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, and was now paying the price for it.

She felt like she should've seen this coming. Lita was no fool; she'd heard the whispers from others about her former lover, but she'd ignored them. Blindly, she had thought that their relationship would be different from his others, and she had tried her hardest to make it be. But relationships are a two way street, and it seemed like Lita put in more than Chris did. Why, she wasn't exactly sure, but it was true.

Whatever. She had other things to focus on, as it was. After talking to Vince, it had been decided that she would come back for a surprise appearance on Raw. Pee Wee Herman would be hosting, and it was no secret to anyone who knew her that Lita was a huge fan of his. She had been a bit hesitant about calling Vince at first, particularly because it had been almost three years since her last appearance. She wasn't even sure if today's fans knew who she was. But that wasn't the biggest reason why she had been hesitant.

She didn't want to run into Chris. He had already taken his leave and was now touring with Fozzy, but Lita didn't know that. It wasn't like she had exactly tried to keep in touch with him after they had broken up. In fact, other than the two phone calls she had received from him regarding her stuff, and hearing bits and pieces from Christian sporadically, Lita had no clue what was going on in Chris' life.

What infuriated her the most was that he'd had the nerve to call her one night not long after they'd split up, drunk. She had been doing just fine, in fact, she had moved on with her life for the most part, and was happy. But of course, he had to call and ruin that. It was a low move in her opinion, because she knew that Chris was aware of how she felt about him. She was positive that he knew she still cared about him, and probably always would.

She was aware of his recent problem with alcohol, but she didn't care. It wasn't her problem anymore. The only thing that mattered to her was her career, and moving on with her life. A lot of people didn't like Phil, but she thought he was a good guy. His standoffish demeanor belied a side of him that she enjoyed, a side that was quirky and offbeat like her. It was part of the reason they clicked so well—she had never meant anyone whose personality almost mirrored hers. After Chris, it was a welcome change. No longer did she have to worry about open promises and false hopes. It wasn't like that with Phil; he never felt the need to lie or cover something up with a bullshit excuse. He was upfront with her, and she liked that. She was exactly the same way.

But no matter what she did, her thoughts almost always drifted back to Chris. It happened less and less now, but every now and then, she would be watching TV or driving in her car, and she would hear a song that reminded her of him.

Surprisingly, the breakup hadn't affected her relationship with Phil, as she had worried it would. Lita had thought that after the breakup with Chris, she would have a negative opinion on any man that came into her life, but it wasn't the case. Just as a precaution, though, she had filled Phil in on what had happened. He had seemed surprised, as most people did when they got the true story. Chris was very good at projecting the good guy image that he was famous for.

But Phil had been patient with her, and with his help, as well as her friends, she'd been fine. She could've handled it on her own; she was famously tough, but all of them had insisted.

Lita shoved a week's worth of clothes into her suitcase, figuring that she'd need them, along with her iPod, and glanced around the living room quickly before turning the lights at the front of the room off. She was really nervous, yet elated at the same time to be getting back into the atmosphere she had once loved. It wasn't the ring, but it was close enough. She was happy about it.

She had just stepped out the door when her house phone rang. Deciding that it was probably her mom or Trish and not really important, Lita continued walking, making sure to pull the door shut behind her.

If she had stayed just a few minutes more, she would've heard Chris' voice on her answering machine, quiet and somber.

"Hey, Li, it's me. Look, I don't know where you are; I don't know if you're hearing this or not, but I was wrong. I know that now. I was a jackass and I apologize, so much. Just, please, call me."

Click.


	6. Ghost of You

**A/N: Final part! I really enjoyed writing this. Thank you to all that read and/or reviewed. Also, thank you to Ashley and Nani for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Just a warning: this part is really sad, so you might want to prepare yourself for that. Let me know if I made it seem cheesy-I tried not to.**

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It seemed as though the odds were invariably stacked against her. She couldn't understand why. For all that had happened between her and Chris, they had been happy the past seven months. They had, for probably the first time in their relationship, communicated effectively. They had agreed to leave the past in the past and work toward mending their relationship.

Chris had moved back in with her. She had been the one to suggest it. Many of her friends and co-workers had been disapproving of it, especially given the past problems she and Chris had encountered, but they had come around after seeing how happy the two were to be back together. From then on, it was as if they had never broken up. They continued being the same Amy and Chris that people knew and loved, pulling pranks on Jay and Trish, hosting movie nights for their friends, and just generally being the kind of people that you loved being around.

And then, before she was able to truly process it, Chris had been taken from her. Not taken as in he had prior commitments with Fozzy, forcing him to go overseas, or that his ex-wife had called out of the blue and he had decided to get back with her. Neither of those options would have taken him away from her permanently, sooner or later he would have came back home to her, back where he belonged, where he wanted to be.

Cancer, however, was cruel and it cared not about the fact that Chris and Lita had only just picked up where they had left off. It didn't care that Chris was a young man, just in his late 30s, or that he had three very precious children, who were three of the most important people in his life. None of it mattered to the cold, cruel, painful disease.

Watching its effects on Chris crippled Lita. She had lost several family members to cancer, and she knew of many people who had been taken by the disease. It hit her hard each time, but none of them hit this close to home. Losing an aunt or a grandmother was hard enough, but it couldn't compare to losing a man she had loved for years and was just now fixing things with. It sounded terribly cliché, but ever since Chris' death, Lita had been completely numb. She felt as though there was a giant, gaping void where her heart once was, and although it would heal over time, it would never fully heal. She would never be the same again.

Nights like these were the hardest. Her mom had suggested boarding Chris' things up and giving them away, but Lita couldn't bring herself to do that. In a way, she felt comforted by Chris' things, even though he was no longer here to enjoy them. She kept his jacket on the back of the chair in the bedroom, where he had always slung it, not being able to move it. The redhead cuddled his pillow as she tried to sleep, Chris' scent filling her nostrils and springing tears to her eyes.

Sometimes she thought she could hear him, feel him, and even see him in the house. She chided herself, saying that they were nothing more but dreams—but were they? When one passed on, was it possible to still feel them there? She didn't really believe in spirits or anything like that, but it was impossible to ignore the things she felt. Sometimes, she could even feel his warm arms wrapping around her as she slept, comforting her, letting her know that she wasn't alone.

Death was something that, for most of her life, Lita had been able to deal with in a pretty stress-free manner. It had always affected her, to some extent—she wasn't a monster or anything like that—but she had never really gotten shaken up by it. She wasn't sure why. But this was something different entirely. Why had he been taken from her, just when things were starting to turn around? Why had the chance of them being happy again been yanked out from underneath them?

And why had this happened to Chris? Cancer. It had been hell on him, and even though Lita could tell that he was in excruciating pain, Chris had forgone any chemotherapy or radiation treatments. He didn't want to get even sicker, and despite Lita's pleas, he had insisted on going it alone. Seeing that killed her. But Chris was notoriously stubborn, and so she had gone along with it. She had tried her hardest to ensure that Chris' final days were lived out the way he wanted them, with friends and family, and even wrestling. He had been too sick to go to any events, obviously, but the others had taped it for him and he had watched it.

He died happy. Lita felt a smile curve her lips as she recalled the memory. Cancer might have invaded Chris' body, but he had died on his terms, relatively happy, refusing to let it beat him. Even until the dead, Chris had displayed a strength that Lita didn't think she could even possess. She would look back on their memories for years to come, but she wouldn't be sad. Instead, she would remember everything Chris had taught her and how, for a very long time, they had been each other's everything. It comforted her in this very heartbreaking time.


End file.
